Coat-holder.



No. 658,80l. I Patented Oct. 2, I900. A. L. PLATT.

COAT HOLDER.

(Application filed Feb. 9, 1900.)

(No Model.)

m: nuams PZYERS co. PHOTO-H1340 WASHINGTON. o. c.

ZNITIED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE ALBERT L. PLATT, OF CLINTON, ILLINOIS.

COAT*HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Iatent No. 658,801, dated October 2, 1900. Application filed February 9, 1900. nerial No. 4,687. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. PLATT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clinton, in the county of De Witt and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Coat- Holder, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to an appliance to aid in the operation of putting on an overcoat or other garment; and it has for its object to provide a supporting device adapted to be secured to a wall or other support and so constructed that the weight of the coat will operate the parts to hold the coat firmly in the proper position and when the coat is raised it will be released.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference designate like and corresponding parts in the several views, Figure Us a per-j spective view showing the holder engaged with a coat and illustrating the operation of putting on the coat. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the holder with the jaws thereof open. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through the securing-bracket and showing theinner face of one of the arms and of the jaws carried thereby, the jaws being illustrated in their closed positions. Fig. 4' is a view similar to Fig. 3 and illustrating the parts of the device folded to lie against the Wall with the jaws open.

Referring now to the drawings, the present coat-hanger comprises a U-shaped bracket 5, the extremities of which are bent outwardly and are adapted for attachment to a wall or other support. In the web 6 of the bracket is a central perforation -through which is passed a bolt 7, which is also passed through a plate 8, disposed against the rear face of the web 6 and which plate is held in position by a nut on the bolt. The ends of the plate 8 are curved rearwardly to form an upper bearing 9 and a lower bearing 10. In the upper bearing is disposed a wire or rod 11, the ends of which are bent to project forwardly from the bracket and divergingly except at their outer end portions 12, which lie substantially parallel. Theextremity of each of these outer end portions 12 is bent downwardly to form a circular eye 13, which eyes lie in acommon transverse plane, after which the wire is continued upwardly, as shown at 14, and is provided with a knob 15, adapted to receive and support a hat after the manner of the usual hat-rack. This wire 11 is adapted for pivotal movement in the bearing 9, so that the outerends thereof may be raised and lowered. A second wire 16 is bent substantially into a U shape to correspond to the wire 11 and has its web 17 engaged with the bearing 10, the arms of this wire being extended outwardly and divergingly to points beyond the inner ends of the portions 12 of the wire 11, after Which they are bent outwardly to lie below and at right angles to the adjacent portions 12, and are then curved upwardly and inwardly upon themselves and have their extremities 18 wrapped around the portions 12, respectively, so as to have slidable movement with respect thereto. With this construction it will be seen that if the jaws 13 be raised and lowered the hooks 18 will slide along the portion 12, moving the outwardly-directed portions 20 of the wire 16 away from and then toward the jaws. These portions 20 thus form jaws which cooperate with the jaws 13 to exert a gripping action.

In the application of a coat to the holder the outer ends of the wires, 11 and 16 are raised,when the jaws 20 will move rearwardly and away from the jaws 13. The collar of the coat may then be disposed between the cooperating jaws and the outer ends of the wires then moved downwardly, when the cooperating jaws will move toward each other and will grip the collar of the coat.

The weight of the coat tends to draw the jaws downwardly, and thus forces them more closely together and increases the gripping action, so that the coat is efiectively supported. When the coat is held in this position, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the wearer may insert his arms in the sleeves in the same manner as if the coat were held by some other person, after which it is only necessary to throw the jaws upwardly by raising the shoulders against them, when the collar will be released.

As illustrated in Fig.4 of the drawings, when-the hanger or holder is not in use it may be folded upwardly to lie against the wall and out of the way.

In the manufacture of this holder any suitable materials may be employed for the vaions parts, and the proportions thereof may be so determined as to secure the best results under different conditions, and also that various changes in the specific structure shown may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A coat-holder comprising members pivoted at different points and having cooperating jaws slidably connected to slide into and out of theirgripping positions when the members are moved upon their pivots.

2. Acoat-holdercomprisingindependentlypivoted members slidably connected beyond their pivots, the slidably-connected portions having cooperating jaws adapted for movement into and out of operative position when the members are moved upon their pivots.

3. A coat-holder comprising pivoted members each including two arms having jaws at their extremities, the arms of one member having slidable connection with the corresponding arms of the other member, whereby the jaws will be moved toward and away from each other when the members are moved upon their pivots.

4. Acoat-holder comprising two independentlypivoted members each of which includes a plurality of arms provided with jaws, the arms of one member being slidably connected with the corresponding arms of the other member to move the jaws toward and away from each other when the members are moved upon their pivots.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto atfixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

I ALBERT L PLATT.

Witnesses:

R. A. LEMON, O. W. LEMON. 

